Ismailism

The Ismailis (Arabic الإسماعيلية, DMG al - ʿ Ismā Iliya; persian اسماعیلیان, DMG Esmā ʿ ILiyan ) or seven- Shiites are an Islamic religious community. The approximately 18 million Ismaili Muslims today live mainly in India ( esp. in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra ), Pakistan (see Hunza ), Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Syria, Yemen, Iran, Oman, Bahrain, in eastern Turkey, in East Africa as well as scattered in the western world - covering more than 25 countries.

Currents and sub-groups

Historical groupings

• Qarmatis (also Qarmatians or Qaramita )
• Fatimid
• Assassins (now Nizaris )
• Hafiziten

Today's groupings (all emerged from the Fatimids )

• Nizaris ( Nizariten, once: Assassins ) Muhammadschahi - Nizaris - today just Dascha ʿ fariya in Syria
• Qasimschahi - Nizaris ( Khojas, Aga Khan trailer) - in the above states except in Yemen

• Dawoodi Bohras - (also Da'udi Dawoodi or written ) - in India, Pakistan and Yemen
• Sulaymanis - mainly in Yemen
• Alawi Bohra

Emerged from the Ismailis ( Fatimids ) grouping

History

The Ismailis were formed during the reign of the Abbasids. The resulting the death of the sixth Shiite imam in 765 successor dispute led to the removal of the Ismailis. They appeared in Syria and Persia and championed as the other Shiites also the rights of the descendants of Ali, after his great-grandson in the seventh member, Ismail ibn Jafar, they called themselves. Originally they represented the teaching of a sequence of seven imams. However emerged various currents and directions in the subsequent period.

The Ismailis were of secret teachings, the great attraction exerted on their followers, but on the other hand made ​​vulnerable for their Sunni opponents. Much of what was in the Orient distributed through them are coming from the Sunni majority slander; the teachings of the now-extinct Ismaili branches are hardly known. The Ismailis saw themselves, also because of its revolutionary Gebarens, strong persecution from the Sunni exposed.

But also of the Imami or Twelver Shi'ites were observed with great skepticism.

A qarmatischen state existed in eastern Arabia in the 9th century. In the 10th century the Fatimids founded their kingdom in North Africa and claimed the Caliphate for himself. They conquered Egypt and founded Cairo 969.

From the Fatimids the still existing main branches of Ismailis come from. In 1094 they split into the Nizari ( Assassins ) and the Musta'lis. From the Ismailis the faith communities of the Druze were born after the death of the Caliph Hakim in 1021, did not believe in the death of the caliph. In the following years, the Druze away more and more of the main directions of Islam, so they can be seen more as a Muslim " new religious movement " or sect today.

• See the history of the Nizari also: Assassins.

Faith

The theological system of the Ismailis is much more open than that of most other Muslims. Some see elements of Gnosticism and Neoplatonism in it. Similarly, there are superficial similarities with Hinduism, such as in sacred music. The Koran is interpreted largely allegorical. In this way, going beyond the text messages of the Koran to be decrypted. Here there are similarities with the Sufis ( Islamic mystics ) and the Imami.

There are in the liberal faith approach nevertheless certain beliefs such as the belief in Allah and respect for the country in which the individual lives, but the interpretation of the Koran is up to you. Who can afford to pay a fifth of their income ( the Chums ) into the common fund managed by the Imam, which promotes development projects among others.

The seven recognized by all the Ismaili Imams

The Qaramita believed in living in secret seventh Imam. This tradition is carried on today by the Bohras in Mumbai. Have been the opposite and be recognized by the Nizari imams more.

Ali ibn Abi Talib is a special case and is not counted.

The faith community as a whole is known as Ismailis, although they do not consider Ismail himself, but his son Muhammad ibn Ismail as Mahdi. They owe this name to the fact that they can continue the series on imamitische Ismail, in contrast to the widespread Twelver Shia. In the following years they themselves have used this designation for themselves.

Spiritual leader

The spiritual leader of the Nizari is the Aga Khan, who is involved with charitable projects worldwide. Prince Karim Aga Khan IV is the 49th Imam. He is descended in a direct line from the Prophet Mohammed.